Globe personal finance columnist Rob Carrick struck a nerve with these words: "I had it easier than today’s twentysomethings, and I have no problem saying so." Citing examples such as university costs and house prices, Mr. Carrick's message to his peers (who suggest that kids today need to buck up) was to lay off the younger generation and cut them some slack. It resonated, spreading across social media and generating nearly 1,000 comments, including "Finally someone admitted it!" and "a good reality check."

First, the world was shocked by the death of 77 people, mostly teenagers, in Norway at the hands of Anders Breivik. Then, the confessed murderer continued to make headlines for raving in court that his rampage was "necessary" because his victims had betrayed their country be embracing immigration. Mr. Breivik insisted he wasn't insane. And many Globe readers agreed with him there: "Evil - but not insane," as one commenter put it.

Rob Carrick's piece on the struggles of today's youth prompted one reader to write the columnist a letter. The eloquently written letter detailed his frustration with short-term contracts offering little pay or flat-out hiring freezes. "I wanted 65 hour weeks in a high pressure corporate environment. I wanted to be able to afford to donate to charities that are important to me. I was considering children, marriage, the house, all of it. It's not happening. The Globe published the letter and it generated nearly 1,500 comments from readers who shared similar experiences, offered words of comfort and gave job-hunting tips.

The story of a female police officer who says she was offered a few months salary to quit her job after reporting that she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague was shared on social media by thousands of readers. Denise Robinson found the courage to speak out, giving a powerful victim impact statement in court: "My family has had to accept this happened to me. They struggled to cope with their emotions. They’ve had to watch me crumble to pieces and felt helpless." Her attacker and former colleague was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

The Harper government caused a frenzy after announcing that thousands of same-sex couples who travelled to Canada to get married are not legally wed because their marriages wouldn’t be recognized in their home countries. The comments cast doubt on the rights of same-sex couples and confusion over Canada’s position on gay marriage, prompting Mr. Harper to clarify that Ottawa was not looking to reopen debate on gay marriage. Readers were not comforted, leaving more than 2,600 comments venting their concerns.